SHOPPING DISCOUNTS The following shops have agreed to give discounts to Campaign members. Please remember to ask for discount and show your membership card before the transaction is entered into the till. COTSWOLD OUTDOORS, Victoria Street new bikes 2.5% (5% if cash) accessories / clothing / parts 10% Please note that discounts will not apply to sale or other discounted items. BRG Vehicle Rentals STACC member Brian Robson generously offers 10% discount to STACC members for car, van and people carrier hire from his company BRG Vehicle Rentals in Brick Knoll Park.

OTHER LOCAL CYCLING ORGANISATIONS

Cycle clubs offer something for all ages. The atmosphere is invariably good humoured, welcoming & supportive. Club rides offer a great way of discovering the local and not so local lanes & eating establishments. Clubroom activities typically consist of technical chats or members’ slide shows of remarkably distant corners of the globe. Non members are welcome for rides & clubroom. You need to be a club member to take part in competition - time trials and racing, road or track. Competition is mainly against yourself - to beat your personal best. Plenty of young people are not attracted to team ball games - cycling can offer an alternative which will stay with them to the age of 90!

Verulam Cycle Club: www.verulamcc.fsnet.co.uk
meets regularly at Fleetville Community Centre

St Albans mountain bike rides list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stalbans-mtb

Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC): Britain’s largest cycling organisation with very strong campaigning zeal, lobbying at government level.
Local section: Rides every Sun, clubroom Thurs Colney Heath 8-10:30 (Village Hall, High St, except 2nd Thurs in month St Mark’s Church Hall, Church Lane) (See Herts Advertiser Billboard for runs & events)
Local contact Albert Jarman 874291. If you are already a member, let us know (Name & Membership No). It is easier to obtain campaigning support from the CTC if we know how many of their members we represent. (our committee includes 4 CTC members.) Publishes a good magazine (every 2 months), borrow some back numbers from a member in order to get the flavour. Website: www.ctc.org.uk

Welwyn Wheelers: Gosling Stadium (WGC) track racing. Contact Pete Waghorn 01707 327011. The Gosling Stadium is such a valuable resource to have right on our doorstep, the club offers facilities where youngsters from the age of 10 can get an introduction to cycle sport in perfect safety. Track bikes are available to loan. Club holds the coveted ‘Impruve’ Status awarded by the Prudential because of the emphasis it places on young people, currently 20 members under 16. Training Mon, competition Fri, May-Sept. All comers (must belong to a club to compete).

Competitive ATB: Contact Marshall’s Cycle shop in Stevenage for information: 01438 748104.

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CYCLE DEALERS & REPAIRERS

The cycle trade is mostly run by cyclists so traditionally has a very helpful attitude towards its customers. Note the unusual opening hours in some cases. Most shops offer sales, repairs, spares; some give St Albans Cycle Campaign members a discount, take your membership card. It’s worth phoning around to check prices.

Addiktion Cycles
www.addiktioncycles.co.uk
Phone: 01727 858841
Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9 - 6, Wed 10 - 7
Sat 9:30 - 5:50
Sundays: First & Third in month 10-2, Others closed.

Chris Hewitt: 1 Coleswood Rd (off Southdown Rd) Harpenden:01582-763622 cycle builder, renovator & repairer (weekdays 3-6 & 8:30pm-10 Sat 9-1 & often pm. Best to ring first!)

Halfords: Retail Park, Griffiths Way: 853444: Mon - Fri 9 - 8, Sat: 9 - 6, Sun: 10 - 5
www.halfords.com

Harpenden Cycles: 115 Southdown Rd, Harpenden: 01582-461963: Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri 9-5:30 Wed 9-1 Sat 9-5 Sun 10-2

Hatfield Cycle Centre: 12 The Parade, St Albans Rd East, Hatfield: 01707-265830: Mon-Wed & Fri 9-6 Sat 9-5 Closed Thur

Leisure Wheels: 117 Victoria Street, St Albans (replacing previous name)
Link: www.leisurewheels.co.uk
Phone 01727 832020
Hours: Mon - Fri: 9-6; Sat: 9-5:30

St Albans Auction Centre: 846090: 21 Lattimore Rd. Often has lots of bike bargains - if you know what you are doing - but look before you bid and fix before you ride! Sat am, sometimes Fri eve. Good source for a commuting hack.

St Albans Cycles: 9 St Brelade’s Place, Sandringham Crescent, Jersey Farm: 847477: Mon-Sat 9-6 Sun 10-2

Whiskers: 684A Goffs Lane, Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, Herts EN7 5ET: Also mail order: Shop Counter open Tue & Thur 9:30-1&2-5:30, Sat 9-1&2-5: 01707-875448: Large stock of parts. Mail order enquiries 01707-326115.

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CONTACTING LOCAL COUNCILLORS

Check the St Albans District Council website for a list of councillors.

Of course you don't need to write to Councillors' home addresses, just address to Council Offices, St Peter's St.

REFERENCE INFORMATION

In St Albans Central Library there are various documents for reference which campaigners may find useful, such as Hertfordshire Traffic Data Report 1997: Road Safety Plan: TPP (Transport Policies & Programmes) : Hertfordshire Accident Prevention Group: Hertfordshire Road Safety Unit.
The St Albans Cycle Campaign is gradually amassing documents which you will are able to borrow. Some of these are those which we cannot obtain in large enough numbers to distribute fully. Contact any committee member.

TO BUY

RoSPA: The RoSPA Bicycle Owner’s Hand Book: Introduction to safe cycling and bike maintenance. This is one of several RoSPA books. They may be a bit dated for today’s young. The need to bulk buy gives difficulties, we do not have enough members to take orders - any local bike shop like to buy a pack for resale? £95.99 for 100

Maps: Ordnance Survey: The new Explorer series (25000 scale sheet 182) carries lots of information on off-road & leisure routes. £5.50. This is an essential resource for campaigners as is a St Albans street map - find a free one in your Tele-Pages phone book.

CTC Shop: 20 Cycle Rides in Herts at £5.50 seems a bit pricey.
Local CTC: Cycling in Hertfordshire (Still at its 1983 price!) 30p

HMSO: The good old Highway Code should not be forgotten - 99p (If yours has a cover price of 1s. 3d. perhaps you ought to update!)

FOR FREE

Below is a list of useful leaflets that we have collected for members. If you require a set please contact us.

Leaflet Disposal: We hope that you will retain your leaflet pack to help to recruit & encourage others but if you want to dispose of any item, please don’t just bin it, but pass on to a non-member or back to any committee member. Some items are in short supply so some members have not yet received them. Some are out of print.

Bicycle Association (the cycle trade association) have supplied a number of useful leaflets: Security ,Mountain Bikes, Bike for Your Life, Child Safety, Cycle Bags, Where to Ride. The last three were in short supply so not everyone will have a full set.

Countryside Management Service: Four leaflets on Alban Way, Nicky Line and 2 circular rides. Leaflets tell you a bit about the work of CMS itself. What you should also know is that the staff are high on enthusiasm and low on budget! You can participate in volunteer working parties. New Address is Hixberry Lane. 848168: E-mail west_cms@hertscc.gov.uk

DETR (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions - formerly DoT). Drive Safe Cycle Safe. This leaflet for drivers as well as cyclists is available in reasonably large quantities. We may obtain regular supplies of this and other DETR publications.

HST (HeadStart Technologies) Special Cycle Helmet Offer, Although current offer Ends 1st March, a slightly different offer continues. Differences are: All helmets priced at £8, different range of colours.

This is a commercial offer by a manufacturer selling direct at factory prices, the information is supplied without any endorsement by St Albans Cycle Campaign, it is up to you to evaluate before you buy. It appears to offer very inexpensive helmets, you also save on postage and packing by ordering 8 or more. St Albans Cycle Campaign may be able to co-ordinate ordering to take advantage of this. Note that these helmets though conforming to BS may not be well vented, so might be unsuitable for summer or all day riding - helmet material has the same thermal properties as pipe lagging. Expensive helmet technology is mainly about achieving lightness with strength and ventilation.

Highfield Park Trust: Highfield Park is on the site of the old Hill End & Cell Barnes Hospitals, as the maps show the cycling routes are well advanced, ideal off-road environment for young children to start pedalling. (All packs have at least one item of their information, the A4 black & white sheet is the most up to date.) You can participate in volunteer working parties.

RoSPA: Cyclists and Lorries (also of interest to HGV drivers & operators).

St Albans District Council: (866100 http://ww.stalbansdc.gov.uk/stalbans)
Highway Defect Reporting Card: Please make use of the card (or a letter) to report any dangerous road defects anywhere in the district. The council do respond very promptly to these. Let the committee know in due course the result - good or bad - of any reports you make. Defects will be reportable by e-mail in the near future. Members on e-mail will be advised of the address. St Albans Cycle Campaign may be producing its own card in the future. The Herts County Council Charter Promise is ‘Hazardous potholes and pavements will be repaired within 24 hours of receiving the alert.’ If you wish you can report hazards to HCC Environment Dept. Norton Buildings, Bridge Road East, Welwyn Garden City 01707 391400 (Fax 391466)

St Albans Cycle Campaign Flyer: Please distribute these wherever you think they will have an impact, more copies available. Wide distribution of these is being organised, your help may be required.

St Albans Cycle Campaign Membership Application Forms: Give a form to anyone who shows an interest. Encourage them to complete it there and then (but you should not take their subscription).

Summary of Talk by the Dean of St Albans: The talk was given at our January meeting. The Dean is a seasoned cycle campaigner, whether or not you were present at the talk, these 8 bullet points are worth revisiting time and again.

Sustrans: Have supplied 3 leaflets, the principal of which is Safe Routes to School, which is the top project of the St Albans Cycle Campaign - be sure to spread the word on this! If you are already a member of Sustrans, let us know.

Watford Council: Watford has a very strong cycle strategy with many projects completed and many more in the pipeline. The council has supplied a number of leaflets: Ebury Way, Westfield Cycle Way, A4 map of current cycle routes and A3 map which includes proposals (the maps are in colour but due short supply we have had to issue some in black & white). There are two reasons for supplying Watford information: 1. In case you don’t realise it, Watford is at a suitable distance for practical commuting (tranquil route through Bricket Wood or from the Noke virtually all off-road & back streets). 2. Seeing what Watford has done gives us a practical view of what can be done in St Albans.

More Leaflets promised: (these will be distributed when available as well as any others you tell us about):

Welwyn-Hatfield Council have promised a cycling map: they seem quite go-ahead on cycling, their old map has gone out of date - a victim of success as more projects have been completed. Why do we mention Wel_Hat? Much the same reasons as we mention Watford above!

Herts County Council Travelwise and other leaflets have been promised. We hold a number of their Traffic Calming information packs (now out of print) but not enough for distribution to all, just ask for one.

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MEMBERSHIP OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS

AA or RAC: These organisations were traditionally strong lobbyists for the cause of motoring without regard to cycling. However they have a few million members who are cyclists so their attitude may be a little more cycle-friendly. If you are a member, please make sure they are not acting against the interests of cyclists, including you!

Other green groups: Friends of the Earth, Community Forest etc.: As for the CTC & Sustrans, please let us know if you are a member, it can be useful if we communicate with them.

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NOW IT IS YOUR TURN

The St Albans Cycle Campaign can only succeed with your participation. You are its eyes and ears. Information gathering is a high priority activity. We need every scrap of information you can collect from the media and from your observations on the ground, which might have a cycling connection.

New housing developments, planning applications, planned and actual changes to a road layout, existence of useful cycle routes, where cycling facilities could be improved, features dangerous to cyclists are examples of what we need to know about. Please take the time to explore your area in detail, take an imaginative view, make the occasional detour from your usual routes.

We are developing a strategy for collecting information, so that not everyone is doing the same task.

A high priority information project being spear-headed by Steve Wragg is the preparation of an area map to show all cycling facilities. Information useful for this project please email: steve@wah.co.uk

St Albans Cycle Campaign Web Site: www.stacc.org.uk
email info@stacc.org.uk

Do you have an e-mail address? It is easier to circulate Campaign information to you by e-mail, saving on costs and getting it to you quicker. please email your address.
Browsing the Web for cycle campaign news: The are lots of sites & news groups covering similar issues to ours, please keep them under observation and let the committee know about anything interesting. (Don’t E-mail whole page contents, just a summary or URL address.)

…And Finally - don’t do too much surfing - get pedalling!